Rafal Blechacz, piano @ Union College 10/10/12

SCHENECTADY – At the 2005 Chopin Competition, pianist Rafal Blechacz won every prize. The judges were so taken with him that they didn’t even bother to give out second place.

The Polish-born pianist, now 27 years old, ran the table again Wednesday night in Schenectady, for the opening of the new season of the Union College Concert Series. He showed a fluent touch in works from the Baroque, romantic and early 20th century eras.

J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 3 in A Minor BWV 827 started things off. Blechacz gave a unique and personal character to each of its seven movements, which were mostly dances.

So much variety and flare suggested playfulness and personality, at least at first. But Blechacz had much the same approach to the next piece, Beethoven’s Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No. 3. He plumbed every phrase for new possibilities of dynamic, articulation and tempo, as if to say, “Look here!” and “Now let’s try this!” Keeping up with it became fatiguing and the longer through-line of the music often got lost.

It’s probably too much to call Blechacz impetuous. His choices were thoughtful and insightful, and his voicing consistently revealed the vertical architecture of the writing. The guy can highlight counterpoint where you thought there was none, just a melody and chords. As a kid he probably enjoyed playing with erector sets.

The concert’s second half was all Polish, starting with Chopin and ending with a sonata by Karol Szymanowski. Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 was brash, sweeping and beautiful. Here his attention in the music’s inner workings showed it in new light, without being so distracting. The two Polonaises that followed began to fall back toward the overly thought-out and fragmented.

Szymanowski’s Sonata No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 8 was the most passionate — dare I say musical — playing of the night. The opening and closing movements were made of grand and powerful chords, both exotic and reverent. Blechacz gave them an attractive weight and force.

In the Adagio, he seemed to discover the pedal, which allowed for a new kind of spaciousness. And ah, the little Minuet. It was ringing and charming, full of rolled chords and simple tunefulness. Amazingly, Blechacz was content to just let it just stay that way.

Joseph Dalton is a freelance writer in Troy and can be reached at Dalton@HudsonSounds.org.